When the World Fell Silent
by Summer Potter
Summary: At the end of OotP, everyone questioned the prophecy, including Harry. But did Harry understand it correctly? Is the defeat of Voldemort REALLY the beginning of something new? Travel back to the day that the 'world fell silent.'


**As the World Falls Silent **

Harry blindly stumbled backwards a few steps, his wand raised with trembling determination. His black, sodden and damp hair whipped into his green eyes that shone ferociously from behind his glasses.

He shot a spell at the tall, skeleton-like man before him, who simply flicked it carelessly away with his wand. He laughed at him, sending chills down Harry's spine.

"Child's play, Potter!" He cackled. "Fight like a man!"

"Stupefy!"

The flash of red light hit Voldemort's back and he gasped out, but it did not render him unconscious. He whipped around in a flare of black robes and fury and smirked at the young woman standing in the small pond.

Her long fiery red hair was covered in mud and dried blood. Her face was streaked with dirt and she had a gash on her right cheek. The way she was standing in the knee-deep water suggested that she had injured her left leg and she looked as if she'd pass out at any time for pain.

"Little Ginny," Voldemort hissed in pleasure. "Have you not had enough of me?"

Ginny did not reply and Voldemort continued. "First Potter can watch you die and then his time will be up as well."

Harry's eyes were wide in fear and Ginny caught his horrified stare. Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at her heart. Ginny seemed frozen where she stood and Harry knew he had to do something!

"Don't worry… you won't be missing much. After all, what good is something as foolish as love in the hands of a _silly little girl?_"

What happened next wasn't clear, but Harry had sprung forward in a roar of adrenaline and shouted out a spell that he had never heard before. It was as if something inside him was leading him to survival and victory.

The battlefield erupted into blinding white light and Harry's scar burst open. His screams challenged those of the Dark Lord and Ginny's, but hers was the first to fall silent. Finally, the world fell silent and Harry collapsed onto his front without another thought.

Hours passed before Harry woke up. He raised his head, blinking stupidly into the darkness. Every bone in his body was aching, but he scanned the field until finally, he spotted a spot of red in the still water of the pond.

His heart slamming into his rib cage for the fear of whether or not she was alive, he pulled himself to his knees and dragged himself over to her, groaning in pain. He knew he had to have broken something during his battle with Voldemort, but adrenaline had kept him going.

His body slid down the crevice and he landed limply in the water next to her. The water was icy cold and Harry's teeth immediately began to chatter as he reached over and pulled her to him.

She was as cold as ice when he touched her cheek. His eyes filled with tears as he looked over her still body.

Ginny moaned and opened her eyes. It took a moment for them to focus before she swallowed hard. "Harry?"

He nodded, unable to speak. She sounded so feeble and weak; as if she didn't have very long to talk to him.

"Is it over?"

A sudden surge of happiness welled in the pit of his stomach, but it didn't erase the fear and guilt letting her come; letting her get hurt.

"It's over." He croaked.

Ginny wrapped her arms loosely around him and Harry pulled her closer into an embrace. He could feel her entire body trembling and shaking. Knowing that she'd soon get hypothermia, he decided that he had to get them both out of the water.

"Ginny, we need to go find help."

"I… I… c-can't…" she stammered, hugging herself. Her lips were tinged blue and she looked very pale again.

"I'll carry you," he told her firmly.

"You- you… can't-t. You-you're w-weak."

"I'm carrying you!" He retorted firmly.

Ginny said nothing and they both crawled out of the water and up the small slope. Harry pulled himself to his feet, ignoring the pain that he felt as he did so. His muscles screamed in protest, but in his heart, he knew that he had to try for Ginny's sake.

Harry pulled Ginny into his arms and cradled her like a small child. She was heavier than he had expected and with every step, it became harder. Ginny was silent as they walked past bodies of both Voldemort's followers and Aurors.

"Harry, why did V-Voldemort say…" she broke off, struggling to form the right words. "That l-love wouldn't m-m-matter?"

Harry hesitated. He knew that Voldemort had time and time again dug into his mind to find weapons against him. His feelings for Ginny had been one of the probed thoughts and Harry had known that sooner or later, he would use it against him.

"Isn't that obvious?" He mumbled shyly. "Voldemort used you to hurt me. And if he had gone through with it…" he paused. "I don't think I'd have had a will to live."

"Do you love me?" Ginny asked bravely, her eyes shining.

What he said next was out of his heart's will. He didn't think it to be stupid or foolish, because somehow he knew that Ginny would appreciate it and reciprocate his feelings.

"I've loved you for a long time, Gin."

"OI! It's Potter! HEY! Get some help over there!"

Ginny and Harry were both startled at the sight of Healers racing about and tending to the injured. Harry set Ginny down on the ground as gently as he could. The second he bent down, his knees gave out and he fell.

Harry knew that something was wrong as his vision blurred and his muscles gave out. He lay back against the grass and it was then that Ginny took his hand. He felt her lips against his, before they moved to his ear. Her voice seemed to drift to him.

"I've always loved you."

Harry smiled slightly and he closed his eyes. His heart was slowing, though he paid his failing vitals no mind. Ginny was still holding his hand and he could feel her body against his. She would be all right; everyone would.

People were surrounding him, though he couldn't see them. He clutched Ginny's hand still tighter and just as he took in his last breath of air, the realization that the prophecy hadn't exactly been correct hit him.

_Neither could live while the other survives. _

It didn't matter to him anymore; he was just happy that Ginny was going to be all right. Perhaps it hadn't been only Voldemort that the prophecy was referring… perhaps Ginny was supposed to be the one who lived…

Harry's heart took its last beat and it was at that moment that Harry Potter became a legend. He had been an inspiration, a hero, a powerful wizard, but he was now so much more. He was the one who saved them all.

Ginny would remember better than anyone how he had overcome Voldemort and how he had done so much and expected nothing in return. As they carried Harry's body off, Ginny didn't weep. She knew that he loved her and that he would always be with her.

Ginny would go on to tell his story, to keep his memory alive forever. After all, she was there when the world fell silent.

Yeah, I'm not really pleased with it, but it's something. I've recovering from a nasty writer's block, so I apologize. Anyway, hope it wasn't horrendously terrible or a bad read that just ruined your day, because it's fluffy and corny mood is certainly going to ruin part of mine. Lol. Anyhoo, review, please!


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